Blindsided - Extended Scenes & Alternate Ending
by PeculiarPie
Summary: "And yes, I've thought about it..a lot, actually... If it did ever happen, that it would have to be perfect." Here's my verson of everyone's favorite episode from Season 4, which tries to fill in some scenes and resolve the "why are we hiding this again" question brought up in the next episode. Also addressed the adorable Hiccstrid developments from season 5. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1: Just Until I Fall Asleep

**A/N: I'm not sure the last time when I was so utterly thrilled and frustrated at the same time when my OTP finally got together as in Blindsided. There were so many cute exchanges and body language moments in that episode, but it also felt rushed and glossed over the obvious (to me) explanation for why the kiss was inturrupted. So here's my version, which also tries to resolve the "why are we hiding this again" question brought up in the next episode, and tie in the adorable Hiccstrid elements from the most recent season. I hope you enjoy!**

-o-

"Will you and Toothless stay with me a little while? Just until I fall asleep?" Astrid hated how weak and scared she sounded. But, she hated the idea of being alone right now even more.

"Of course." Hiccup answered tenderly. "We're not going anywhere, are we bud?" The Night Fury gurgled in assent and flopped to the floor, long tail sweeping around to encircle them.

"But first, let's get something to clean you up with." Hopping over Toothless, Hiccup scurried to grab a rag and water pouch. He returned to Astrid, who looked more anxious and lost than ever even though she had counted each of his footsteps and knew he hadn't gone far. After a bit of fumbling, Hiccup gently wiped the grime and ash from her face, neck and arms. He worked quickly but didn't rush, an unseen blush coloring his cheeks.

"Thank you," Astrid whispered, barely audible, when he was done.

"Not a problem," he replied, stashing the rag and water on the table. Awkwardly, "Do you mind if I..uh.."

"Go ahead," she responded, a bit to quickly. "That is...if you don't mind..."

"I don't. Mind that is. As long as you don't." Hiccup laid down next to her stiffly, holding her hand while maintaining a respectful space between them. It was innocent, but definitely pushing boundaries...especially if one of the other riders were to walk in and see them. Hiccup wondered if Astrid could hear his heart thundering in his chest.

He had feared that Astrid would fight sleep, but she dutifully closed unseeing eyes and allowed her breathing to slow.This attempt at rest was certainly appreciated, but left Hiccup alone with his own anxieties. What if Astrid's blindness WAS permanent? How would this factor into their nearly complete plan to defeat Viggo and Ryker? He relied on her skills, and considered her the strongest rider on the team. Would she even be able to ride a dragon safely any more? Though he had spent years denying and minimizing it, the thought was insistent now: how would this change the unspoken dynamics of their relationship, this tenuous, gossamer thing between them? He reflected back to what he had said at the end of the the Buffalord incident: I can't imagine a world without you in it.

It didn't matter if Astrid could never see or fight again, Hiccup needed her by his side. It was as simple and as profound as that. Whatever that took, whatever she needed. Hiccup would be there. For her.

Much later, when her grip on his hand loosened and the patter of rain on the roof had stilled, Hiccup dared to roll on his side and see how sleep had relaxed her features. He reached out reverently to brush the hair from her forehead when a noisy commotion coming from outside startled him into a protective crouch.

Toothless warbled, but didn't rise or seem concerned at all. That was mildly reassuring, but Hiccup still had to know what was out there. He sealthily moved to the door and peeked out, letting in a breath of of rain cooled air in the process.

One of the small, green Terrible Terrors had knocked over a full rain barrell. It was rolling around and gushing its contents all over the platform while the Terror tried to drink from its stream. Relieved, Hiccup stopped the barrell and let the little dragon lap up the still-spilling water; it would have to be repaired tomorrow along with everything else.

It was still a little windy, but Hiccup saw stars when he looked up. The first of the storms had passed. The night was quiet.

Looking down at the tiny dragon, Hiccuo had an idea. He picked up the Terror like an oversized cat and returned to the clubhouse, careful to close the door before setting it down again. Immedietly, he regret the decision as the Terror began noisily exploring his new surroundings.

"Don't bother her," Hiccup hissed as the Terror approached the sleeping bodies on the ground. At least, only one was really sleeping. A quick flick from Toothless's tail sent the Terror across the room, squealing

"Thanks bud," Hiccup said before focusing his attention on scrawling a quick note to Berk. It was a risk, but with this gap in the storms perhaps the Terror could get back in time to give Gothi a heads up about Astrid's condition. He knew that it may still be a few days before they could find the bigger dragons, much less safely ride them home. But if Gothi at least knew what was going on, she'd be prepared when they did arrive. Hiccup recovered the Terror and stashed the note in the capsule already affixed to its back claw.

"Get this note to Berk," he instructed when they were back outside. "It's important, okay? We need to get this to Gothi right away." Perhaps he imagined it, but Hiccup could have sworn he saw a flash of reccognition in the tiny dragon's eyes at the old woman's name.

"Okay, off you go then!" Hiccup unceremoniously threw the dragon into the wind. With a squawk, it flapped its wings in the direction of Berk and disappeared into the night.

Sighing and suddenly very tired, Hiccup returned to the doorway. Astrid had only asked them to stay until she was asleep. He and Toothless could return to the comfort of their own hut. But...that would mean leaving her here, all alone. It was inappropriate, but Hiccup couldn't help the selfish desire to stay with her and imagine they were sleeping together under different circumstances. Sensing his indecision, Toothless looked up at him curiously.

"No, no, don't move, bud." Hiccup made up his mind and returned to his position at Astrid's side. He didn't dare touch her, but couldn't bear to leave either. "We're gonna stay here and take care of her tonight."

-o-

 **Soooo, what do you think so far? This story got longer than I expected, so I broke it into three parts and will post the others in the next few days. -PP**


	2. Chapter 2: Put My Foot Down

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who is following this story, and especially to Margaret Helstone, Niki Bogwater, and anonymous "guest" for the reviews! I hope you enjoy part two!**

-o-

"Hiccup!" Astrid awoke in a panic. Hiccup jolted upright, disconcerted but attentive to her distress. He took Astrid's outstreched hands into his own.

"Sssh, sssh, I'm right here. I didn't leave you."

Astrid gripped his forearms painfully. It took a moment for them to reorient to the waking world and remember yesterday's events. The blank gaze on Astrid's face revealed that sleep hadn't cured her unseeing eyes. This was...disappointing.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup whispered. "We'll figure this out, okay?"

Astrid nodded with false bravery. "Help me up?"

Once on her feet, Hiccup guided Astrid to a chair and helped her sit down. Toothless had abandoned them to sleep by the fire sometime during the night, and now was bounding over with a concerned look on his onyx face. He snuggled up to Astrid, as if sensing she needed extra comfort.

"I'll, uh, take over breakfast duty for you, okay?" Hiccup offered. Astrid nodded wordlessly, still scratching Toothless' head. Hiccup got to work soaking oats for porridge. Simple tasks for the hands helped calm the racing mind. Now, in addition to his usual leadership responsibilites and the everpresent threat of Viggo and the dragon hunters, Hiccup had to worry about storm damage, lost dragons, and blind Astrid. He couldn't help but steal glances at her as he worked. What was going on in her mind? How could he comfort her if he couldn't assuage his own worries that her vision would ever return?

Hiccup had just finished preparing bowls of porridge for the entire group when the clubhouse door exploded open. Making a more dramatic entrance than usual, the twins rolled in athletically, followed by a reluctant Fishlegs. Astrid rose, uncertainty and defensiveness written all over her face.

"Morning," Fishlegs squeaked, accepting his breakfast and retreating to his seat as if he wanted to avoid association with whatever the twins had planned next.

"Whaaat are you guys doing?" Hiccup asked, but wasn't able to get around the table before Tuffnut made a beeline for Astrid.

"Okay. Thorston Blind Field Test, numero uno. Who is standing right in front of you?"

"Tuff, I know it's you," Astrid responded, exasperated.

"She got it! She's fine, everybody. Oh, thank Thor. Phew. That was a close one." He swaggered over to his sister, who whapped him on the head and sent his helmet spinning. Ruffnut looked at him pointedly, as if she was trying to encourage her brother to move into the next phase of an ill-concieved plan.

"Guys, we can't worry about me right now." Astrid interjected. "We need to worry about our dragons. They're still still out there and obviously scared or they would've come back." The twins looked at each other guiltily, and Hiccup jumped at the opportunity to derail their plans.

"Guys, she's got a point. We need to round them up before the next storm hits." He turned to Astrid. "Toothless and I will find Stormfly. Don't you worry."

"And leave me here?" Astrid scoffed. "I don't think so. I'm going with you."

"Sorry. Not an option." Hiccup answered, a protective instinct surging in him. Of course, Astrid would have none of it. She rounded on him.

"Listen, I'm more effective blind, then some riders, who shall rename nameless that are fully sighted." Astrid sent a sightless glare in the twins' direction.

"Is she looking at us?" Tuffnut asked uneasily.

"She can't see. Hence, she cannot actually look. So, no." Ruffnut responded with an air of authority.

Hiccup ignored them. "Astrid, there is no way you're flying in your condition. Right? I'm sorry. As leader, I am putting my foot down."

Hiccup vaguely expected Astrid to respond with the same despondent acceptance that she had displayed all this morning. He was sorely mistaken though, when Astrid launched herself and tackled him to the floor. A few seconds of wrestling later, Hiccup found himself on his stomach, arms pinned behind his back.

"You know what, Hiccup? Let's see you try to put your foot down on me now!" She reached back and detached his metal leg.

"Hey, hey, hey, that is _totally_ uncalled for," Hiccup protested. Holding the prosthetic above her head with one hand, Astrid pressed on his arms painfully.

"Ow ow OKAY!" He roared. "You can come! I'll take you myself!" Pleased, Astrid released his arms and rolled off just as Snotlout arrived.

"Aw yeah, Astrid," he crowed, flopping down on the chair next to her. "Way to kick Hiccup's butt when you can't even see."

In a surprisingly thoughtful gesture, Snotlout slid a bowl of porridge in front of her before grabbing one from himself. Ignoring the spoon, she tipped the bowl into her mouth and drank victoriously as Hiccup struggled to get up and hop to his seat.

"Can I get my leg back?" he asked petulantly, a flush of pain and embarrassment coloring his cheeks. Astrid put a territorial hand on the metal appendage in her lap.

"Not until we leave. I need some leverage to make sure you don't try to ditch me in some misguided attempt at chivalry."

Hiccup knew he had no choice but to accept that answer and ate his breakfast, sulking. It was one thing to be bested by Astrid; everyone on the Edge had been subdued by her at one time or another. It was quite another to have your leg stolen by a blind girl, in front of everyone, while trying to assert your authority as leader. While the others speculated where their dragons had gone and planned where they would search, Hiccup remained silent, pouting. Relucantly, he had to admit that he probably _would_ have tried to escape without Astrid if given the opportunity. His offense melted, and Hiccup also had to admit that it had been a while since he and Astrid had ridden on the same dragon, which would be nice. Regardless of the circumstancrs, time alone with her was always appreciated.

"Let's go, Toothless," Astrid called once breakfast had finished. The Night Fury bounded over, but cocked his head at Hiccup when she reached for his bridle. Hiccup shrugged in resignation and nodded. At his assent, Toothless began to lead Astrid to the deck outside, pausing only to allow her to shove the leg into Hiccup's chest as they passed.

Hiccup reattached the missing prosthetic, ignoring Ruffnut's whiplash sound effect and the resulting snickers from everyone else.

"Come on dragon boy," Astrid called from outside. She was already seated atop Toothless, straigthtbacked and regal like fierce warrior queen. Hiccup mounted Toothless and clicked into place in front of her. Astrid gripped his waist and they took off into the sky.

Astrid let go once they were coasting, and Hiccup definitely missed the extra contact. He also missed her conversation; a haughty silence had taken over their flight. As Hiccup scanned the trees for any signs of life, it occurred to him that perhaps she thought he was still offended for taking his leg. He had never been able to stay mad at her for very long, but she wasn't able to read his cues now. It was a minor misstep in the dance they'd been doing for years, and Hiccup wasn't going to let stubborness or pride stop it now.

Finally, several minutes into their flight, Hiccup leaned forward and wryly told Toothless, "Remind me never to put my foot down again."

Astrid took the opening. "I can still hear you, Hiccup." Her voice softened. "But I agree."

A moment later there was an unexpected patch of turbulence, which Hiccup reacted to instinctively. Astrid though, was unbalanced and began to fall.

"Whoa!" She cried, and Hiccup reached back to steady her waist.

"Whoa! Okay, you've gotta hold on tighter."

"Sorry." She responded, slipping her arms around him once more.

"No, don't apologize." Hiccup said. "The truth is...obviously, I'm glad you're here." Her grip around his waist tightened into a grateful hug. A lightness that had nothing to do with flying fluttered in Hiccup's stomach.

The moment should have been perfect. He had Toothless, Astrid, and the sky: everything that had ever made him feel whole. Of course, life would never be that simple for Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. Navigating towards a promising patch of forest, Hiccup prayed to any of the Norse pantheon that might be listening.

 _Please, let us find our dragons soon. I need Astrid to get well. I swear on my life, I'll do anything to stay by her side._

-o-

 **A/N: Bam. Part two, down, complete with sappy ending.. What do you think? Are you excited for things to heat up in the next chapter? I hope to post again soon!**

 **-PP**


	3. Chapter 3: There Will Always Be

**A/N: An update! I finished this section sooner than I expected, and what's the point of dragging out the wait. As always, thank you for the reviews and follows. It makes typing this silly fanfic on my cell phone app that much more enjoyable. So without further ado...**

-o-

"Stormfly, come here, girl! Stormfly!"

Hiccup had agreed searching by foot was probably a better idea on this area of the island, and was glad to see her take the lead on their little excursion. It meant that Astrid was gaining confidence in her abilities and reclaiming her independence, which was a trait that he had always found particularly attractive. However, Hiccup wasn't so convinced that calling out and attracting all the wild, storm-scared dragons was the right course of action.

"Okay, I'm thinking that, as jittery as the dragons were, they probably want to get as far away from the storm as possible. So, if we take _this_ stream down towards the beach..."

"No!" Astrid objected vehemently. "I _know_ my dragon, Hiccup. She's more worried about me than she is about herself. Which means she would be trying to find her way back towards the Edge. _Upstream_."

To punctuate her point, Astrid turned and started marching upstream, only to stumble over a jutting rock underfoot. It was too late to warn her, but Hiccup still leaped to soften the blow.

"Astrid! Whoa!" Hiccup managed to get his arms around to support her neck and head before they both tumbled to the ground. Winded and panting, Hiccup realized that he was practically on top of her, in a much more intimate position than how they had been lying together last night. He fought the sudden, overwhelming urge to kiss her right there, to make her understand that it didn't matter if she was blind, she was still someone so incredibly important to him and always would be...

"Are you, uh, okay?" he asked, unable to look away from her face, her lips...

"Uh I'm...I'm fine." Astrid answered, literally and figuratively blind to Hiccup's struggle. "We...should probably get going?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was gonna...Get going." Hiccup clambored to his feet and helped her stand.

Astrid suddenly cocked her head. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Hiccup asked, which answered that question. Toothless, however, leapt in front of them in a defensive crouch, having apparently heard the same noise that Astrid was inquiring about.

"Something's coming at us," she explained, then took a few faltering steps forward.

"Astrid, what are you doing?" Hiccup warned as she left the protective boundary offered by the NightFury.

"It's okay. It's Stormfly!" Astrid cried in recognition, and sure enough, the Deadly Nadder emerged on the bluff a few moments later.

"Huh" he mused, impressed.

Astrid showered Stormfly with affection. "There's my girl! Oh, I _knew_ you'd come."

Stormfly's yellow eyes narrowed and a growl rumbled from her gizzard. Astrid sensed the change immediately. "What is it, girl? What's wrong?"

She paused to listen and soon heard the reason for the dragon's distress.

"Hiccup! Above you!"

The Triple Stryke had returned.

Hiccup didn't hesitate. He barrelled into Astrid seconds before the Triple Stryke's three tails sunk into the ground where she had been standing seconds earlier. Hiccup deposited Astrid near Stormfly and ran a few more paces across the field to get a better picture of their battleground.

"Okay, Astrid, there's a rock formation ten paces to your left. Hide behind it and you'll be safe." Hiccup ordered. His tactical mind whirred. There had to be a solution to get them all out safely. Now was NOT the time to try and make friends.

" _Hide_? I'm not gonna hide! Stormfly!" She reached for her dragon.

" _Of course_ she's not gonna hide. What was I thinking? She's Astrid," he said, gesturing wildly in frustrated admiration for the stubborn girl. Hiccup mounted Toothless effortlessly and rushed into the fray.

Meanwhile, Stormfly danced around Astrid's attempts to grab her saddle.

"Stormfly?" Astrid's confusion was inturrupted by a beak to the back of her shirt, flinging her out of the way. Stormfly watched Astrid fly with approval, which left her open to the Triple Stryke's attack.

"Aah!" Hiccup winced and urged Toothless forward. With Stormfly dazed, the Triple Stryke had turned his attentions back to Astrid. Seconds to spare, Toothless gathered the warrior in his front paws and deposited her roughly next to the rock formation.

"You, stay." Hiccup ordered again.

"Not fair, Hiccup. So not fair." Astried yelled.

"We'll discuss it later!" Hiccup retorted. looking down, he wasn't prepared for when the Triple Stryke rammed into Toothless. He fell from the Night Fury's back.

"You need me. Admit it." Astrid demanded. To her dragon, "Stormfly, come. Stormfly?!"

"It's okay." Hiccup called from across the way. "She's with me. We need her help."

"But-"

Hiccup broke. "Look, I ALWAYS need you, all right? But I can't fight this thing if all I am doing is worrying about you. Let me handle this!"

"Ugh. Fine. I'll _hide_." Astrid curled into a ball against the rock formation full of self-disdain. "Exactly what an experienced Dragon Rider should be doing in a time of crisis."

Hiccup, now satisfied Astrid would stay in her position of safety, turned his full attention to the scorpion-tailed dragon before them.

"Stormfly!" Obediently, the Deadly Nadder took to the air, circling the Triple Stryke. Toothless blasted fire toward its feet.

"Spine Shot!" he signaled. A quartet of spines flew, penning the Triple Stryke in on the other side.

Hiccup directed his two dragons in a barrage of attacks, backing the black and yellow beast towards the edge of the clearing. Sensing defeat, the Triple Stryke turned and ran into the trees. Hiccup sighed in relief.

"I'm gonna chase it off a little bit," he called to Astrid. She didn't respond, too preocupied in beating herself up over things that were out of her control.

Hiccup led Toothless and Stormfly into the trees. The Triple Stryke hissed, having not retreated far. _Maybe he's territorial?_

Another few blasts from Toothless sent him running again.

"Ha! Yah! Keep going!" Hiccup cried, hoping that the noise would keep the dragon spooked and running. It wasn't hard to follow the trail, but soon the flashes of yellow through the foilage faded in frequency. Eventually Hiccup felt confident enough to direct Toothless and Stormfly to regroup in the clearing. He slipped off and approached Astrid on foot, not sure if she'd need help to get up on her dragon, who was taller than Toothless.

"Okay, let's mount up and get back to the Edge before that thing comes back."

Astrid rose from the ground and morosely trudged to the dragons.

"Uh, no, Astrid, that's Toothless. Don't you want to ride Stormfly?"

Sighing, Astrid responded, "I think she's made it clear, she doesn't want me riding her."

"Astrid, she was protecting you. She didn't want you in that fight." Hiccup paused, then added, "It was pretty cool, if you think about it."

Astrid looked rejected, but knew he was right. She slowly moved back towards Stormfly. "I'm having a hard time finding anything 'cool' in all of this."

Hiccup followed. He reached forward to grab her arm, easing her to a stop.

"Look, obviously, I can't even imagine what this might be like for you. You're... Well, you're _Astrid_. You're strong and invincible."

"Not anymore." She turned. Hiccup had never seen her this despondent. "What if this is it, Hiccup? What if the rest of my life is like _this_? What then?"

"Then we'll deal with it." He answered simply, taking hold of both of her arms to instill the seriousness of his words. "Just because you can't see doesn't mean you're helpless."

"But that's exactly how I feel."

Somewhere deep inside Hiccup, a floodgate burst. Thoughts, feelings, desires that he had dammed for so long threatened to overflow. He had to find a way to channel the truth so that she would understand.

"Astrid, you and I have been through _everything_ together. You don't think we can handle _this_?" His hand slipped down her arm to intertwine with her fingers. Hiccup's heart thrummed; there was no going back now.

"Astrid, you have me, no matter what." He stared into her eyes even though he knew she couldn't see, wishing he could pierce through those cloudy panes and make her see his bared soul. "Okay?" Fumbling for the right words, he pressed on.

"Whatever that means... whatever you _want_ it to mean. I am with you. There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid. Always."

He leaned in --she had always made this part look so easy-- but before he could kiss her, Astrid pulled away.

"Do you hear that?" she asked, squinting but sightless.

Hiccup was put off, but undaunted. "I...didn't hear anything."

He was about to bend down again when she inturrupted for the second time. "There it is again. Behind you."

Hiccup turned to see the Triple Stryke barreling towards them once more. He grabbed Astrid and dove out of the way. This time he was able to use his own body to cushion her fall. Stormfly and Toothless leaped to their defense, spewing a line of fire and spine.

"Okay, this guy has got to go. Now." Hiccup said, suddenly filled with an unreasonable anger at the interferring dragon. While Toothless and Stormfly kept it at bay with alternating shots, he ushered Astrid to another alcove where she could wait out the scuffle.

"I _hate_ this," she whispered, sinking down against the rock.

"I know," Hiccup responded. Looking up, the Triple Stryke was _right there_ , three deadly tails and looming menacingly above them.

 _Two dragons vs three tails...I need more fire power. I need..._

"Toothless, distress call!" Hiccup shouted, berating himself for not thinking of it sooner. A ring of purple fire spread across the sky, hopefully attracting the other dragons, and their riders, to their aid.

Hiccup ignited Inferno as a gust of rainy wind tossled his hair. He looked to the expectant dragons awaiting his signal, and the Triple Stryke moving to attack again.

"Come on guys, let's hold him off 'til help arrives."

-o-

 **A/N: Whee! Minor cinematic cliffhanger, but we all know how this ends up. (Major fluffy Hiccstrid, that's how.)**

 **This fourth and final chapter will be coming soon, with all the gentle adjustments I'd make if I was in charge of HTTYD. I hope you choose to hang in with me for the ride, and drop a comment with your thoughts.**

 **-PP**


	4. Chapter 4: It Would Have To Be Perfect

**A/N:** **Surprise! Another fast update!**

 **Thank you again for the sweet reviews and follows. I sincerely hope you like the ending of my Blindsided revisionism.** **I'm very excited to finally present the nugget of an idea that started it all. ENJOY!**

-o-

Though Astrid had managed to earn the Triple Stryke's trust, it still took some tricky maneuvering to relocate it to the dragon stables at the Edge outpost. In the end, she had asked Hiccup to take over and he was easily able to use his natural gifts (combined with her newfound insight) to coax their new friend into one of the larger pens. The structural damage from the lightning strike was easily repaired with dragon assistance, leaving the rest of the afternoon free to celebrate the return of their scaly companions.

Tuffnut ran a chaotic circle as soon as Hiccup broached the idea of taking the afternoon off and shouted, "Quick! Before he changes his mind!"

Honestly, Hiccup _would_ have preferred to ride for home immediately to seek out a cure for Astrid's affliction, but he knew how important it was for the group to blow off some steam after the highly stressful events of the past few days. The sky was still a blur of ominous grey, and though Hiccup trusted Astrid's abilities implicitly, he knew that the turbulence from the storm would be too much to risk with her current obstacles.

Besides, it was nice to sit with her leaning against him as he attempted to narrate the twins' antics and make her laugh. Hiccup didn't exactly enjoy the vunerability that blindness had brought to Astrid, but he did find it sweet and rewarding that she allowed him to provide for her. It wasn't a needy, dependency thing; she'd certainly demonstrated well enough that she could handle herself, thank you very much. Rather, it was in the softening of barriers, the desire for connection. Blindness forced Astrid to accept his touch without bristling or faking punches. That she seemed to crave his presence was emboldening, though Astrid seemed not to have noticed his move on her from earlier.

 _Which is probably a good thing,_ Hiccup thought, fighting a mixture of disappointment, confusion, and relief.

-o-

Unexpectedly, Gothi arrived that evening in a flurry of Terrible Terrors just as the group was heading to their beds. She landed, scrawled something in the dirt impatiently, then wasted no time in dragging Astrid by the wrist while the rest of the gang tried to translate her message. Something about waiting too long and metal buckets...

Gothi tended to Astrid busily, mixing and applying a variety of potions and poultices. From Hiccup's veiwpoint it didn't look comfortable, especially when something viscous was spread on the inside if her eyelids. Ever the stoic, Astrid accepted Gothi's ministrations without complaint until eventually, the crone affixed the last bandage and seemed pleased with her work. Without further explanation, she grabbed a blanket off the foot of Astrid's bed, blew out the candle, and fell to the floor, snoring.

"Well, I guess that means it's time for bed!" Fishlegs exclaimed. "We'll have to see what Gothi says in the morning. Good night Astrid!" He waddled out of the hut.

"You okay?" Hiccup asked, grabbing another blanket and spreading it over her.

"I guess. It's still a lot to take in," she reached for his hand, which he squeezed reassuringly. Gothi snored dramatically from the other side of the bed.

Hiccup frowned and let go reluctantly. He had selfishly hoped for a repeat of last night, but that would have been enitrely inappropriate. The clubhouse was one thing, but being alone in _her_ hut-- especially with Gothi already there-- well, that was an entirely different matter. It was dark, but Hiccup could have sworn he saw a the corner of Astrid's mouth turn down in displeasure. Or pain? Like she said, it was a lot to take in.

"Well, I'll see you in the morning. Hopefully...you'll be able to see me too."

"Thanks Hiccup. I hope so too."

-o-O-o-

It had been a long day trying to keep Astrid appeased while doing nothing, but finally in the late afternoon Gothi snapped her fingers and indicated it was time to unwrap the bandages. The miracle concoction had worked. Astrid flung her arms around Hiccup, hiding tears of relief in his neck.

The excitement spread as the rest of the gang paraded through the hall. While Fishlegs inquired about the ingredients, Astrid even indulged the Nuts with a few rounds of the Thorston Blind Field Test. Hiccup stood back and took it in, surprised at how the tenseness in his neck and shoulders melted now that this situation had been resolved. He had _known_ it was always going to work out...but it was still nice that blindness wasn't going to be one of their long term challenges. Across the room Astrid caught his eye and smiled at him, which made his heart flipflop chaotically.

Ruff, Tuff, and Fishlegs excused themselves after a while to continue training the Triple Stryke, and Snotlout lumbered to the kitchen to take his shift making dinner. Gothi indicated it was time for her to leave as well, and was followed up to the deck by Hiccup and Astrid thanking her effusively.

Watching the flock of Terrors bear the elderly healer back to Berk, they sat and dangled her feet over the Edge. Astrid was uncharacteristically quiet, seemingly content to sit still and observe the things she hadn't been able to see for two days. Hiccup waited until long after Gothi had disappeared over the horizon and the sun began to sink into the sea before finally inturrupting their companionable silence.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, Hiccup. You can stop worrying about me now." She said with a playful petulance.

"I never stop worrying about you." Hiccup responded airiy. "That's just the way it is."

She graced him with a light smile. "Yeah, yeah. I guess.. that goes for me, too."

He recognized the opening. Hiccup scooted closer, only to have Astrid push him away.

"Hey," he said, but he relaxed when she giggled in response. _Just because everything has changed for me,_ he mused, _doesn't mean that anything has changed for her, or her usual brand of "affection"_

"Can I ask you something?

"Yeah, sure." Hiccup tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach.

"Back in the forest, when we were…well you know…"

"Yeah?" This was it. The relationship talk that they had been dancing around for years. He didn't regret it, exactly, but knew that his impulsive declaration yesterday had steered them into new territory. Hiccup wasn't entirely sure they were ready to explore this yet...but regardless, here they were on the shore of something new.

"Were you about to…."

"Oh uh so you felt that that, huh?" Hiccup responded, laughing sheepishly. He looked away and shrugged. "I thought maybe I had gotten away with it." Of course Astrid would have noticed that he had tried to kiss her. Hiccup hadn't expected to feel this embarrassment. He glanced back to see Astrid smiling shyly at him.

"So…why didn't you?"

Oh, those were loaded words coming from her. _Anyone else would have killed that dragon...so why didn't_ you

 _Why didn't you?_

 _I want to remember what you have to say rig_ _ht now._

Hiccup shrugged off the memories and barked out a laugh, trying to keep things light.

"You said 'Do you hear that?' and then a Triple Stryke attacked us. It kind of ruined the mood."

Despite herself, Astrid laughed. "I guess that did happen, huh?" Her laughter dissapated the tenseness of his embarassment.

"Yes, it did, Milady," Hiccup said. "And as much as it pains me to say it, it was probably for the best, too."

"Hm," Astrid responded, her eyes playful. "I'm not so sure that I agree."

"Oh. Oh!" he said, realizing the import of her words. So they WERE going to have this conversation after all. Hiccup took moment to compose his thoughts.

"Well, I always thought…and yes, I have thought about it. A lot actually," Hiccup smiled rakishly before continuing. "If it did ever happen, that it would have to be perfect."

"Perfect, Haddock? What were you waiting for, a beautiful sunset?" She gestured to the magnificence of nature right before them. The giant sun cast bright colors upon the clouds, which were reflected on the calm sea.

"This does seem pretty perfect to me," Hiccup admitted, taking her hand into his own. His expression sobered.

"But I was more thinking about the timing. If I…if we…were to…" he took a steadying breath. The conversation had turned heavy and raw so quickly.

"If I kiss you, it means that all this" he gestured to the air between them, "will change. Viggo is still out there with the Dragon Eye, which is a huge threat to the safety of Berk. I'm almost ready to present my plan to defeat him for good to the counsel and I had hoped...maybe when he is gone..." he shook his head.

"If we do...move forward with things...well, I'm not sure how open our parents would be to us still living out here on the Edge unsupervised, for one thing." A blush crept across his freckles. "I rely on you too much for that to happen. Especially right now."

Astrid squeezed his hand. "I get what you're trying to say, Hiccup. I really do. There's a lot going on. But…did you mean it? What you said back there?"

He turned to face her with that resolution in his eyes that made Astrid's knees weak. "Of course I meant it. You have me, whatever you want that to mean for us." A shadow passed over his face.

"But…" she prompted gently.

Sighing, Hiccup stood up and began pacing the platform. "But…I'm the chief's son, Astrid. I'll always have certain…expectations on me. It's a lot of pressure, and you've always been so great at supporting me…but as soon as Dad finds out he's going to march right over to your parent's house and start negotiating betrothal contracts."

Astrid detected the ghost of a smile on his face at that idea. It was all the confirmation that she needed.

She rose and slipped her arms around him from behind. "Would that really be so bad though? I mean...I think I'd like that." She whispered into his back.

Hiccup froze. Had she really? He turned around slowly, taking in her shining eyes, the flush on her cheeks. Like the thaw of spring, his whole face lit up until he was beaming brilliantly. "Really?"

"Really."

Hiccup threw back his head and laughed, then picked her up and spun her in a circle. Astrid laughed too; despite all of their differences, Hiccup's reaction was definitely something out of his father's playbook. His joy was infectious.

Upon returning to the ground, Hiccup surprised her again when when he swopped down and kissed her soundly on the mouth.

Time seemed to stand still.

After a moment, the couple pulled apart, leaving Astrid dazed. Hiccup grinned, apparently thrilled with his own audacity. He didn't wait long to duck his head to kiss her again, this time slowly and more thoroughly.

Astrid had kissed Hiccup a handful of times before, though it had always been a simple expression of gratitude for something incredible he'd done, like survive the Red Death or return their dragons on Snoggletog. Now, she began to realize why Hiccup had waited so long to reciprocate. This _was_ the kind of kissing that changed everything.

"You've been holding out on me Hiccup!" Astrid accused when they parted for air the second time. He chuckled.

"I have. I've been in love with you for a long time."

Astrid didn't know what to say to that, but Hiccup saw the prickle of tears in her eyes as she smiled at him. He pulled her close and she tucked her head into the crook of his neck. A perfect fit.

The sun sank into the sea until it was just a crimson sliver on the horizon. Groaning, Astrid finally inturrupted their perfect moment.

"I hate to admit it, but you're not wrong."

"About what?" Hiccup asked, pulling back to look at her face. Just hours ago, she hadn't been able to see. Now, the entire world was crystal clear.

"About this being bad timing."

"I know." When she didn't respond right away Hiccup frowned. "Are you suggesting that we pretend this never happened?"

"Gods, no!" Astrid exclaimed. "And have to wait another five years to be kissed like that again? I'd rather fly away and elope right now."

"That can be arranged," Hiccup answered huskily. Astrid didn't dare to look at him, but flushed under his gaze. It took a moment for the delicious, dangerous intensity between them to fade.

Hiccup sighed again. "I know. I _know_. We really can't afford to have anyone acting differently. Especially us. Or the rest of the gang. And _definitely_ not my dad. Not when we're this close to defeating the Dragon Hunters. But.."

"I don't want to go back to how it was before," Astrid blurted. "Now that I know you feel the same way about me that I feel about you."

Hiccup smiled and kissed her again. Once more, Astrid was left breathless.

"So maybe...we just keep this to ourselves for a little bit longer?" he offered. "Just until Viggo is out of the way. Then we tell everyone."

"You think we can do that?"

"No, I think we're going to be caught making out somewhere."

He definitely deserved the punch on the arm she gave him. And kiss on the lips that followed...And the wandering hands snaking into his hair as he pulled her hips close to his...

"Hiccup? Astrid? Are you two even up there? Dinner is ready and we are NOT gonna wait for you any longer!"

The newly formed couple leapt apart upon hearing Snoutlout's voice calling from the platform below. One exchanged glance later, they both burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.

"Ugh, what are you guys even doing?" Snotlout asked, finally within eyeshot.

"It's nothing, just an inside joke," Astrid answered, the first to regain speech.

"You guys are _gross,_ " Snotlout muttered as he walked away. "Hurry up and get betrothed already so you can make beautiful Hiccstrid babies or _whatever_. Heh, like that would ever happen..."

Hiccup and Astrid dissolved into a renewed fit of laughter. _Oh Snotlout, if only you knew..._

"Well, I don't think we're caught just yet, or he'd never have walked away." Astrid thought out loud when they had calmed down. It was much darker now, the faint glow of the dying sunset fading more and more with each passing second.

"I think you're right. Besides, we can talk about Hiccstrid babies later. Definiely after dinner at least." Hiccup offered his arm jauntily, willing to accept either another punch or simply attempt to escort her to the clubhouse "Shall we, Milady?"

Astrid slipped her arm through his. "I thought you'd never ask."

Together they walked towards food and friends, light and laughter. Into an uncertain future, assured of only one thing: There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid. Always.

-o-

 **A/N: Aaand now it's done. :)**

 **The three (!!) previous "director's cut" chapters were a bonus surprise to this project, but I had so much fun building up to this chapter I just couldn't help it! Did this alternate ending help resolve some of the rushed elements for you in the actual episode? Anything I missed, or that you want to see in another story? Isn't Hiccstrid the best?!?**

 **As always, reviews, comments, and critiques are welcome! 'Til the next fic!**

 **-PeculiarPie**


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